Broken
by Sparky61390
Summary: 1st person narrative, progeny of the konaha nine Team Gai. I know, overdone, but this one should hopefully be different, and interesting. Read it, review it! I'd explain more, but it would ruin my opening paragraph.
1. Chapter 1

My mother? The sixth hokage.

My father? An arrogant egotistical jerk who's only obsession is repopulating his decimated clan, something he can't do now that his wife was the hokage.

It is a loveless marriage. When he came back, she was 20, and a fully-fledged jonin. He came back, apologized, and eventually, he actually appeared to have feelings for her. Whether that was true or not, was to be known only by him. After they were married, he wanted as many as children as possible. Oh, did I mention I have 6 brothers and 2 sisters? Yeah, he's been home for 20 years now. They've been busy. That's a kid every year, till she became hokage, 11 years ago. Guess which year I came along? The last one. She was appointed Hokage right after I was born. Needless to say, I don't get much attention at home. I'm Kujikeru Uchiha. My mother is Sakura Uchiha, and my father is Sasuke Uchiha. Needless to say, I don't get much attention at home.

The day finally came. We graduated. A fairly small class, but a lot of notable heritages here. The progeny of the Konaha nine and Team Gai flooded this academy. They had all risen to great heights, and so, we all had great expectations. Everyone said I was like my father when he was here, especially Iruka Sensei. He was now the head of the ninja academy, but still loved teaching these classes. Like my father? That thought disgusted me. I wouldn't say I hated him; there were a lot of horror stories people had told me, about what my father had done because of the "hate" he harbored. Almost killed his best friend, hurt my mother, way back when they were kids. I don't like him very much, though, and so being compared to him stings. On top of that, all my brothers? They had been forced to excel in school, because of their heritage. When your mother is the Hokage, and your father is one of the only adults left of your shattered clan, they have high expectations. I don't know what he does with most of his time, but on days I have school, I see him at breakfast, then at dinner. I see my mother less, but she still took the time every night to tuck us into bed, but when I outgrew that, I was lucky to see her a few times a week. I think it saddened her, a lot, that I, her youngest child, no longer had any interest in the only event that had kept us close. Made her feel old, I think. She wasn't even 40.

"Now we will be assigning your squad teams!" Iruka shouted over the din of the small group. This snapped my attention back; I tended to think about those kinds of things a lot. I wouldn't say I was an unhappy kid, but I wasn't all that happy.

"Team 1 will be... Ichijin Nara!" Iruka paused as the dark haired boy stood up. He hadn't been paying any more attention than I had. Just like me, everyone said he was his father's son. Shikimaru and Temari, yes she had left Sunahagakure for Konaha, or for him really.

"Tenkaichi Akimichi!" Chouji and Ino's son stood up. He didn't have any food; he had either run out, or had more control over his hunger than his father. Average grades, good kid. Nobody seemed to care that he was a little heavy, because of the great respect his father and mother had earned. Ino was Sakura's Shizune. Chouji was one of the strongest fighters Konaha had, and the leader of a new organization Sakura had created. The "ODK" or Organization for the Defense of Konaha. They stayed home, and were ready to defend at a moment's notice. Having people set aside for this made it easier to figure out how many ninjas out on missions was too many.

"And Garou Inazuka!" Iruka said, finishing team one with a smile. Kiba didn't have any special position in Konaha, but was still well known. His son was a bully, but a smart bully. Kiba either ignored it, or didn't know. He was at the top of the class, like me. Difference was, he bragged about it. All the time. I didn't, I hated when teachers would announce who got the highest grade on a test, or whatever. Sometimes it was I, and I didn't need, or want, anyone's approval. He did, he loved being the center of attention. Kiba's wife was some nobody, and so I knew nothing about her. She definitely wasn't a part of the konaha nine. I began to fade in and out, mostly out. I hated these types of ceremonies.

"and Kujikeru Uchiha!" I came back when he said my name. I had no idea who was on my team, and apparently I was the last of the three. No one was standing. I stood up and looked around the room. They were staring at me, and I hated it. You'd think a kid starved for attention at home would want more from somewhere else, right? I don't know why I didn't like it, but I didn't. I sat down, and the two girls who sat on either side of me - Another reason i was "just like my father" - i had this irritatingly devoted fan club. - began talking.

"Congratulations, Kuji!" They said in unison. Kuji. I hated that nickname, they thought it was cute, and they put so much emphasis on the 'I'.

"What for? We graduated a week ago." I asked them.

"Your squad mates, duh! Your team is going to be so strong!" Kawaii said. She was pretty, but annoying. I had no idea who here parents were. If I took the time to ask she might think I liked her. I told my dad about her once, he said my mom was the same way a long time ago. THAT bugged me.

"Who is on my squad?" Iruka kept rambling on, appointing new squads. Kawaii stood up, smiling broadly, as the other girl, Joji, explained.

"Your on Minato's squad!" Joji squeeled. Great. Minato Uzemaki, Naruto's son. If i had to guess, Naruto was where my father spent all his time. My father was always healthy at breakfast, but beaten and sweaty at dinner. They would probably train 24/7 if they didn't have to sleep. I didn't know who won or lost, but he always walked in with his sly grin, and then would frown when he was fully in the house. He and Naruto had made up after my father came home, and as far as I could tell, Naruto didn't hold anything against Sasuke. When he had passed up his chance to kill Itachi, and brought him back to Konaha for judgement (the trial turned out to be null and void considering the circumstances, with the whole take-over-Konaha Uchiha plot thing.). Naruto was happy with that, when Sasuke favored giving his brother a chance to repent over taking his vengeance then and there. Did i mention Naruto was married to Hinata? Big surprise. Somewhere down the road, when Hinata was in the hospital, Naruto began visiting her every day. Maybe it was the drugs they had her on, but she told him she loved him. They've been inseparable since.

"The teams are three-man squads. Who is the other one?"

"Kougi Hyuga!" Neji and Tenten's daughter. That seemed a really imbalanced team. Two byakugans, and a soon to be sharingan. My father said he developed his soon after graduating, so it couldn't be that long. Kougi was Minato's cousin, and she was kind of cute. But i had always been raised to not show emotion, thanks to my ever-benevolent father. I wondered if Minato was protective of her.

"Alright, those are all the teams! Come take the envelope with your name on it as you leave, it will tell you where you are meeting your squad leader tomorrow! Feel free to take today to get to know your team. You are all dismissed!"

"So what are you going to do, Kuji? We could go walk around town together, if you wanted!" Kawaii asked.

"Or we could not, if its all the same to you." I responded as i stood up and walked away from the bleacher-type seats. They followed, like a dog follows their master. "Why don't you guys go hang out with your squads? Kawaii, your in that Lee kid's squad. Go hang out with him. Joji, go talk to your squad. You should get to know them." I didn't care how well they would know their squad. I just wanted them to leave me alone.

"Kujikeru!" Minato shouted as he walked over. "Here's your envelope! I grabbed it for you when i grabbed mine." His spiky blond hair annoyed me, but then again so did a lot of things. He was a nice enough kid, and our fathers were friends. I figured it couldn't be all that bad.

"Thanks. So, I guess we are on the same squad, aren't we?"

"Yeah, I noticed you weren't paying attention!" He laughed, then began waving to Kougi.

"Kougi! Kougi! Come over here!" he shouted. He was loud. I was used to a quiet house. All my siblings were always doing missions or training. Obsessed, like my father, with getting stronger. I wasn't obsessed; I was "a natural". Certainly no Itachi, but I was gifted. Top of my class, zero effort.

"You zone out a lot, don't you, Kujikeru?" Minato asked. I turned to see him, and only saw over his shoulder. Kougi was walked towards us, and I had to admit, for a kid that didn't get excited about much, she intrigued me. She had a bright smile, (her mother's) and straight black hair (her father's.)

"You zone out a lot, don't you, Kujikeru?" Minato said with a laugh. He put his hand behind his head and closed his eyes as he did.

"Minato, you are just too much like your father." Iruka said as he walked past us. "i can't tell you how much that brings me back, seeing you stand there like that!"

"Thanks, Iruka sensei!" Lucky guy, he wanted to be like his father. I had only met his dad once, and i had to say he was a good guy. I had been practicing my jutsu, my _only _jutsu, the Pheonix Fire Flower, the only thing my father had ever taught me himself, and i broke a window. My father probably would've beat the crap out of me, but Naruto stepped in. All he had to do was smile at Sasuke and mention that anything could be forgiven, and he stopped.

"Yeah, i guess i do. I just get bored a lot." I said offhanded, as i continued to gaze at Kougi as she walked over.

"Geez you took your time getting here! Here's your envelope." he handed it to Kougi.  
"Do i have something in my hair?" Kougi asked me.

"No, why do you ask?"

"You keep looking at me. I thought something might've been stuck. Oh well!" Minato laughed. I wanted to pound him. He had to be sharper than his father had been at this age. I'd heard some things about him too, like having gone a decade or so with Hinata practically stalking him before he realized what he had there. That had to be it, Hinata's influence had made him smarter.

"Oh, sorry. But no, your hair is fine."

"OK. Thanks!" she said excitedly.

"Well, let's go to Ichiraku! My dad has a tab there so we can eat all we want!" Minato thought this was hilarious, and probably the greatest thing ever. He walked off, both hands behind his head, and Kougi followed.

"Alright, Minato. Why is it everytime we eat together, it's ramen?"

"Because ramen is the best thing there is to eat!" Minato responded.

"Ramen is alright, I suppose." I said, and Minato looked at me like i was the devil. This was an unspeakable blasphemy, according to him. I smiled a little, and Kougi laughed, as Minato realized i was just egging him on. I smiled a bit more as she laughed. This squad wouldn't be so bad after all.


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey, what squad number are we, anyway

"Hey, what squad number are we, anyway?" I asked as we approached Ichiraku. Minato's mood continuously improved as we got closer to the ramen shop, as if his brain waves were directly connected to his distance from his beloved ramen. If they said I, Sasuke's son, was in squad 7, with Naruto's son, I would beat Iruka. Fate my ass.

"We're squad five. You didn't pay any attention at all, did you?" Kougi said smiling as we entered the ramen shop.

"No, not really." I said with a slight laugh.

"Euah, wed squud faid!" Minato said with a mouth full of ramen. He had gone ahead...because he wanted ramen.

"Try talking without ramen shoved down your throat." I said to him. He swallowed.

"Yeah, we're in squad five!" he said with a smile. "Your ramen is ready, guys! Dig in, courtesy of Ichiraku ramen, and their best customer, my dad!" The ichiraku guy just smiled broadly.

"Eat up, kids. The Uzemaki tab is unlimited! He's been my best customer since he was even younger than you guys!" His daughter said with a laugh. We ate, Minato more than Kougi or myself, or the two of us put together. I was satisfied with one serving, as was she. Minato wouldn't be content until Ichiraku had to refill their pantry. It wasn't surprising, but I noticed how impeccable her table manners were. I'd expect nothing less from Neji. Would our kids be like that? Woah, did I actually just think that? I might be getting ahead of myself. I was only twelve, after all, and I knew nothing about her.

"Thanks for the ramen, Minato, but I should probably get home."

"Why? Our dads are training, your mom is the hokage, and you're the youngest kid. You don't have to take care of anyone, and your parents won't notice if you are a little late."

Minato mentioned. He was finally done eating. There was truth in his words, I was only in a hurry to leave because I was a little uncomfortable. I wasn't used to being treated like a human being.

"I don't know. I should still probably go home."

"Oh, come on! We could start our training together as a squad early!" Kougi said with a bright white smile.

"Yeah sure, why not?" I said. Minato grinned at me like he knew _exactly _what I was thinking. Smug little jerk.

"Alright, let's go train!" Minato shouted as he turned around on the bar stool and hopped off. I got off and walked just ahead of him. He ended up moving to walk beside me, and put a hand around my shoulder. He grinned madly.

"What's your problem?" I asked, shrugging his arm off my shoulder.

"Aww, come on, what's the big deal? We're teammates! Friends, you know?" He still had the same, smug, _ I know your secret_ look on his face.

"I'm not really the touchy type. Besides, my dad tried to kill yours when they became best friends."

"So?" I took a step forward, turned around and looked him in the eye.

"Do you really want to get all that close to a guy with my family's history?" He stopped walking, and Kougi laughed out loud. Her laugh was entrancing, really. I couldn't help but continue trying to make her laugh. Even just a giggle would be satisfying. "I might turn on you one day, and form a plan to rid the world of ramen." His eyes drooped like a kid who just lost his puppy. I turned my back on him smiling, trying to not let Kougi see my grin, as she laughed louder.

"What makes you think I won't turn on you?" Minato shouted as he ran up to me, jumped, and landed on my back. Instinctively, when I hit the ground, I rolled to the right and swatted him off with my left arm. We stopped moving, him on his back cringing, and me with my hand on his jacket, an arm reared back. He almost looked scared, and Kougi did too.

"Maybe that will be a little deterrent." I said as I smiled, climbed to my feet, and helped him to his. I hoped my lie had worked, if Kougi hadn't been there I probably would have slugged him. He laughed and smiled.

"Hey, keep that for tomorrow, kids." A ninja with a green vest and silver hair appeared behind us. Most of his face was covered with a black mask, including one eye.

"Who are you?" I asked. I couldn't see his mouth, but I could tell he was smiling.

"You don't know him?" Minato said, surprised. "That's Kakashi sensei! He taught my dad, and your parents when they were in a squad together!"

"You did?" I had no clue. Kakashi nodded. He would have to be pretty old, if my mother was in her mid 30s, that would make this guy in his 50s or later! He looked like he was in great shape for an older guy.

"Right up until when your father defected from Konaha." Kakashi smiled at this, which was odd.

"You're not OUR sensei, are you Kakashi sensei?" Kougi asked. Kakashi ruffled her straight black hair and she smiled and laughed.

"I am, actually."

"You're our sensei?" I asked. Iruka…

"Yes. I asked specifically to be this group's sensei when I read the roster. I've been doing this sort of thing for a while, so I have leverage."

"Why did you specifically ask for us, Kakashi sensei?" Minato asked.

"Oops, look at the time! I'm late! I have a few meetings to attend to. I'll see you kids around!" Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Weirdo." I said as I continued walking, my eyes mostly downwards.

"What kind of meetings, do you think?" Minato asked, his head towards the sky.

"I bet they are important! He knows your mom, Kujikeru, so I bet it has something to do with the Hokage!" Kougi said cheerfully. Even for a guy like me, who was normally bored and dismal, her perky nature was contagious. They couldn't see it, but I was smiling.

"Well, since we already ate, we should train! Really surprise Kakashi sensei when we begin tomorrow!" Minato cried excitedly.

"What did you have in mind?" I asked, raising on eyebrow and looking at him.

"Well, we aren't too far from an open field, we could spar!" Minato continued.

"Sounds good. Kougi, you in?" I turned my head all the way around, still walking in the same direction.

"Maybe if I watch you guys go at it a time or two. I haven't really done a lot of training as far as fighting." How could she manage to be cute when she was shy? It didn't make any sense.

"Alright! I'll totally whip you, Kujikeru!" Minato ran ahead. I laughed.

"So, do you think he's very strong, Kujikeru? Man, your name is a mouthful."

"Some of the other girls have come to call me 'Kuji'." I can't believe I just told her the nickname I hated more than anything, except maybe being told I was like my father. Sasuke would be a nickname I couldn't stand.

"Oh, OK then. I'll call you Kuji!" I hated it a little less now.

"Yeah, ok. But, I bet he's strong, but probably not all that bright." I said with a slight laugh.

"Why do they always hang around you?" she asked. Why was she asking this question? Did it have to do with the fact that we were alone? No, just stay calm Kuji. NO! Now I was using it myself. That wasn't right.

"Who?"

"Kawaii and Joji, but some others, too."

"I really don't know. I always try to get them to leave me alone, but they don't seem to get it."

"Huh, that's weird. Oh well, here we are! Minato looks like he's ready for you!" Minato was stretching out extensively.

"We'll see." I had decided I'd make a fool out of him. Just really toy with him, get a rise out of him. If he got mad, he'd be an even worse fighter. "So, what are the rules, Minato?"

"Anything goes! We ARE ninja, after all!" he said, beaming.

"Sounds good." I crouched a little, facing the left side. He came charging at me, starting with a wide sucker punch. I ducked under him, elbowed his stomach with my right elbow, and then spun around, hitting his surprised head with the side of my foot. It picked him off the ground slightly, and a bit to the side. I completed my spin, then turned and placed a fist in his stomach, not actually pressing. He still had that same look on his face, with some dirt added in. I looked over my shoulder, and Kougi's eyes were wide.

"Alright, lucky shot!" Minato jumped up and moved a bit away. He drew a kunai, and threw it at me. He began to run around and to the side, so instead of distracting myself with blocking, I just ducked slightly. He had crept up right under my vision, and he stood up, ready to hit me. I finished the hand signs as he looked in my eyes.

"Pheonix Fire Flower Jutsu!" I shouted, shooting three miniature balls of flame at him. He ducked to avoid narrowly, and I sidestepped around him, kneeing his back as it was bent at a low angle with my right knee, then pivoting as I kicked him with my left foot, sending him sprawling. I wasn't really toying with him, but it was still fun. Kougi looked like she was having fun too. "Was that one lucky too?" I asked laughing. Kougi giggled.

"Fine, if we are using techniques, then how's this! Byakugan!" the odd veins around his

eyes popped up, and his stare was intense. I forgot he had that. He came running in at me again, bent over low, and his arms back. "Eight Tri-grams! OW" My fingers poking his eyes interrupted him. He fell over, landing in a sitting position, rubbing his eyes. Kougi was crying she was laughing so hard. I was happy. His byakugan was gone.

"OW! That wasn't fair!" Minato pouted.

"We ARE ninja!" I said with a laugh. Kougi was sitting down now, still laughing histerically.

"You think it's funny, YOU fight him!" Minato said angrily. She couldn't respond, she was laughing so hard. Her eyes were teared up, and she was waving her hand in front of her.

"I'm gonna hit you SOOO hard, Kougi! Stop laughing!" Mianto demanded. I laughed at that a little too. Boy was he mad. "I'm not kidding!" He ran over towards her, a fist reared back. I moved extra fast over, and stuck a foot in front of his feet. He tripped, and went flying over Kougi's head. She had ducked as he flew over her, and as she turned her head around, to see him with his head and shoulders on the ground, looking up at her, with his back bent and his legs extending forward beyond his head, she fell over laughing. Maybe this squad wouldn't be so bad after all.


	3. Chapter 3

"So what do you think Kakashi sensei has in store for us?" Minato asked.

"What do you mean?" I asked him.

"All the senseis have to give us an exam to accept us as students. If we fail, we go back to the academy!" Kougi replied.

"WHAT?" Minato said, shocked. "I don't want to go back to the academy! I just graduated!"

"Minato, you brought up the test. You didn't know that we'd go back?" Kougi asked.

"Well, um...Kujikeru didn't know either!" I kept walking smugly as he pointed an incriminating finger at me.

"Did you ask your father, Minato? I bet he would know what Kakashi would do for a test. He studied under him, after all."

"He wouldn't tell me! He said Kakashi told him not to tell! It must be a secret. What about your parents, Kujikeru?" Minato asked.

"I didn't see my mother last night, and my father just sits around thinking, usually in the dark.. I don't talk to him at all, when I can avoid it." I responded.

"Hmmph! Well I guess we will wait and see!"

We arrived at the designated spot, a clearing near a memorial to ninja's who had given their lives for the village. That was one monument nobody ever wanted to be on. As the note said, we were waiting in front of the monument, reading it.

"For a long time, everyone who was precious to me was on that list." Kakashi said as he appeared behind us.

"That's so sad, Kakashi sensei! What happened to them?" Kougi asked.

"Nothing to worry yourself about. Right now, your mission is to get stronger, and pass my little test. Now, did you all skip breakfast as i asked on the note?" Kakashi said with an invisible smile.

"Yes." We all answered. Minato seemed the most miserable about this.

"Good. Now, here is your test." Kakashi held up two silver bells, attached to a key ring. He hooked it to his belt and smiled. "Your test is to get these bells from me."

"Kakashi sensei?" Kougi asked.

"Yes?"

"There are only two bells, but three of us. One of us will go hungry no matter what!"

"She's right!" Minato said, his stomach already growling.

"That's correct." Kakashi replied.

"I don't understand, why would you not want us all to be able to win?" Kougi asked.

"That is something you will have to find out for yourself."

Kakashi walked into the center of the clearing and pulled a book out. It clearly said "Makeout Paradise" on the cover. He opened it to the middle and began reading. We stood there watching him.

"You only have until noon, or no one gets lunch. You'd better get started." He said, not removing his eyes from the book. I dashed into the woods, and Kougi went to the other side. Minato stood there.

"I'm going to get lunch, no matter what!" Minato shouted, running at Kakashi.

"Idiot..." I said under my breath.

"Minato..." Kougi said, shaking her head slowly.

Minato started with a wide right sucker punch, which Kakashi simply sidestepped. He continued, using his left hand, going for Kakashi's stomach. Kakashi bent over backwards, almost horizontal to the ground, then stood back up. Minato spun and kicked with his right heel, to which Kakashi's reaction was to disappear. He reappeared behind Minato, still smiling and reading. Minato flipped over Kakashi's back quickly, then lashed out with several quick attacks at his back, all of which Kakashi weaved around, without even looking at Minato.

"Your a bit stronger than your father was at this age." Kakashi commented. Minato beamed proudly. "But no smarter. You're making the same mistakes he did." Minato's smile quickly became a scowl. He rushed in again, this time trying to slide tackle Kakashi's feet from under him. Kakashi leapt into the air, then landed on one hand, still reading.

"Now's my chance..." I said, drawing a number of kunai and shuriken. I leapt out from the trees, hurling them in a circular pattern at Kakashi. He disappeared, and I spun, forming the signs and using my jutsu. "Pheonix Fire Flower Jutsu!" I cried, but he hadn't been behind me.

"That was a good assumption, that I would use the same trick I did against Minato, but you should have figured I'd be smarter than that. I've been doing this for a long time." He ruffled the hair on my head, so I spun. He wasn't behind me. "Up here." I looked up, and there he was, hanging from a tree limb, upside down. I quickly pulled a smoke bomb from my pocket, threw it to the ground and took off as it covered my escape.

"Let's get him!" Minato shouted, referring to a clone next to him.

"Ah, your father's favorite technique, the Shadow Clone. I'm not surprised that he taught you that at all." Minato smiled, and ran at him. The two Minato's ran in single file, one hiding the other's action. The first went low, and Kakashi tossed a kunai, popping the clone. Minato had leapt up, rearing his fist back. His face was full of victory as he got closer to Kakashi. His eyes went wide, and he pulled his punch. His fist was grabbed and he was thrown aside but none other than Naruto Uzemaki.

"Dad? What are you doing here?"

"It's me." Kakashi said as his genjutsu faded.

"What? That's no fair!"

"Why not? I knew you wouldn't hurt your own father. Your not a monster." Kakashi smiled.

"But...that's not fair!" Kakashi shook his head.

"You kids only have another hour!" Kakashi shouted out in no specific direction, as he sat on Minato in the center of the clearing.

"Get off me!" Minato struggled.

"Kuji." Kougi said. I was startled slightly, but i recognized her voice, so I didn't spin to attack.

"Yeah?"

"Minato isn't having any luck, is he? Maybe we should try something?"

"I'll go get us the bells, Kougi. I'll be right back." I smiled, and ran towards the clearing.

"Ah, there you are, Kujikeru." Kakashi smiled as one of my clones walked out of the forest. It wasn't a shadow clone, but it would do for now.

"Hey, sensei."

"You here to get a bell?" Kakashi said, still smirking while reading.

"Yep."

"Good luck. Your father would be proud if you did!"

"Why do you say that? I'm at the top of my class, I know a few jutsu which i taught to myself, and he's not proud of me. What makes you think this?"

"He didn't get a bell."

"What?"

"Your father didn't get a bell. He was just like you-"

"Don't say that. I don't like being compared to him."

"Fine, but he was at the top of his class, he was considered very strong for a genin, and he still failed to get a bell. If you got one, he'd be proud." That was all the motivation I needed. The clone threw several kunai at Kakashi, and he didn't move. They passed through him, no surprise, but the surprise was that he knew the clone was a clone. "Nice try, but no luck. You'll have to do better!" I had gotten around to behind him, and I put on a burst of speed, closing the gap. I jumped the last fifteen feet, swung out with my right leg, which he blocked. I rolled forward, reaching out for a bell, but he twisted his hips ever so slightly and it was out of my reach. I brought my other heel downward, towards his head, which he blocked. He grabbed both of my feet as i reached for a bell, and threw me aside.

"Haha!" Minato shouted as he dashed out from under Kakashi just as he stood up to throw me. I landed on my feet, and we both rushed him. I came up high, and Minato low. He blocked my kick with a forearm, and Minato's punch with a foot. He forcefully kicked out, sending Minato sprawling, then spun around, put a hand on my chest, and threw me backwards. He was still holding that damn book. If I couldn't get a bell, I'd at least make him put that away. Minato and I ran into the forest, and before he ran in, I had signaled him with my eyes. We met where I had left Kougi. She was still there.

"Doing this each for ourselves won't work. We're genin, he's a jonin." I said.

"That's what I meant earlier, but you ran off without me, Kuji."

"Oh...Sorry. We need to work together, though!"

"But one of us won't get lunch!"

"We can share one, Minato."

"OK! I'm in! And I think I have a plan!"

Minato and I came bursting out of the forest at top speed simultaneously from opposite directions. We ran in wide arcs, moving towards him in a pincer motion. We did the same attack again, Minato going low, and I went high. He blocked, predictably, in the same fashion, sending Minato sprawling and me flying to the side.

"Kakashi sensei!" Minato shouted as he righted himself.

"Yes, Minato?"

"I got a bell." He laughed and his smile went wider. He was holding a bell. Kakashi looked to his waist, and noticed two bells.

"I still have two bells. Yours is a fake." Kakashi threw a shuriken with expert aim and hit the "bell". It was a kunai disguised with a minor genjutsu.

"Sensei!" Kougi shouted, giggling.

"Yes?"

"I have a real bell!" She said, still laughing. He looked to his belt, and there were no bells.

"I got one too." I said proudly, holding it up. Kakashi looked at us in succession. When he had thrown the shuriken at Minato, Kougi and I had snuck up next to him and snatched the bells. We were surprised it worked too, but it had.

"Well done, kids. Kujikeru and Kougi, you both pass. Go sit down and eat. Your lunches are by the memorial. I have something to attend to before we continue, so I'll be right back. Minato, I'll give you another chance. But, Minato isn't allowed to eat, that is his punishment for not getting the bell! If either of you give him food, all three of you fail." Kakashi poofed away, and we walked to the memorial.

"This sucks!" Minato said.

"What?" I asked.

"I can't eat, or you guys will fail, and I'll lose my second chance! This isn't fair, it was MY plan that got us the bells! I should pass too!"

"Just shut up and eat." I said, holding the tray out to him.

"I can't! Weren't you paying attention?"

"Yes, but you don't have any chance of passing if your hungry. Your stomach is growling louder than you're talking." It was true, his stomach was rumbling pretty bad.

"It's fine, he's not here. I said we could share one, and we will share one. Now eat, quickly, before he gets back." Minato looked at me with a look of pure admiration, probably because he was starving, and Kougi smiled and nodded in approval of my decision.

"Thanks, Kujikeru. I appreciate it, really." Minato began to eat some of the food quickly.

"WHAT DID I SAY?" Kakashi said as he appeared in front of us. Minato dropped his fork, and his mouth was agape.

"You said we weren't supposed to let Minato eat anything." I answered.

"And what were you doing?"

"Letting Minato have some of my lunch." I hung my head in despair.

"And why would you do that?"

"So he could pass his test the second try." I began to look up, resolved to stick by my decision.

"Why would you risk yourself for his sake?"

"He's my teammate, and my friend."

"I see. And Kougi, what do you have to say for yourself? You're just as guilty as they are, you didn't stop them."

"I'd have given Minato my food if Kujikeru hadn't."

"I see."

"Do we have to go back to the academy?" Minato asked sadly.

"No."

"We don't?!" Minato asked, surprised.

"What are you saying, you said we would fail if Minato eat!" Kougi asked.

"You all pass."

"WHAT?" We asked in unison.

"This test wasn't about the bells, or lunch. It was about TEAMWORK, the most important quality in becoming a ninja. I don't care whether you got the bells or not, so long as you worked as a team, and continued to do so through the second test."

"We passed?" Minato asked.

"Yes, you passed. You are all fully fledged genin."

"WE PASSED!!" Minato said, picking me and Kougi up off the ground, spinning in a circle as we all locked hands. He was singing and laughing, Kougi was smiling. I managed to crack a smile myself.

"Come to this spot tomorrow, same time. I'll have your first mission for you." and with that, Kakashi disappeared. Kougi grabbed Minato and hugged him tightly.

"Minato, we're genin!" she said loudly to her cousin. I put my hands in my pockets, and smirked, looking at the ground.

"Yeah!" Minato smiled. "Hey, Kujikeru, come on over here. Get in on this too!" He laughed as he grabbed me, and they made me the center of their hug sandwich. I did my best to seem annoyed. Too bad I was a ninja and not an actor.


	4. Chapter 4

I walked to the meeting spot, as i was told, early the next morning

I walked to the meeting spot, as i was told, early the next morning. I didn't know what to make of the previous night. It was swimming in my head.

"How did your test go?" My father asked me as I walked into my house, without looking at me. I had stayed out, later than I normally would, and the sun was setting. He was sipping tea, and he had bruises. He had been training.

"Great." I said flatly, not expecting him to take any interest.

"Did you get a bell?" he asked, setting his tea down. He turned to look at me. I hadn't thought about what Kakashi had said, that my father hadn't gotten a bell.

"Yeah, I did." A thin smile grew across my lips. He stood up and walked over to me, then held out his hand. I looked at it, then took his hand and shook it. I looked up into his eyes.

"Good job. I'm proud of you." he said, still holding my hand firmly. His was half again the size of mine. He looked as if he would release, and at the shocked look in my eye. He pulled me in, hugged me briefly, and then let go of my hand, walking away.

"Hey Kuji!" Kougi said, but I was just standing there. "Kuji?" she asked again.

"Hey Kujikeru!" Minato said, and he knocked on my head like he would a door.

"What?"

"You've been standing here, looking at the sky for five minutes!" We were at the monument.

"So?"

"Normally, you look at the ground." Minato said with a wide smile, like he had said something clever.

"Are you alright?" Kougi asked.

"Just thinking."

"About...?" Minato asked.

"Something that happened last night. Don't worry, it's nothing."

"Good morning, kids, sorry I'm late!" Kakashi said as he poofed into the clearing. Minato's eyes went wide as Kakashi landed directly next to him. He ruffled the boys hair, and he settled down.

"You need to stop doing that..." Minato said as he shook his head out of Kakashi's reach.

"What is our mission, Kakashi sensei?" Kougi asked excitedly.

"We have a very important mission for an old friend of mine."

"Important, eh? Sounds like the job for the next-"

"Hokage?"

"Um, yeah..." Just guess who said it.

"Well, that would definitly complete the likeness." Kakashi said.

"Huh?" Minato continued.

"Your father, he must have said that to me or around me a thousand times."

"Oh." Minato laughed, rubbing the back of his head with his eyes closed.

"What is the mission?" I asked.

"Well, an old friend of mine has lost her cat, and we need to get it back for her."

"Your friend...lost her cat?" This was really lame.

"Yep. Don't worry, this will be a good test for you, it emphasizes teamwork, and non-lethal tactics."

"Boring! Give us something interesting!"

"Maybe tomorrow. Let's go team! She lost him around the woods just outside this clearing."

"Let's get this over with." I said as I walked towards the woods. This would be quick and boring.

We leapt through the forest in an uncoordinated fashion, Kakashi lagging slightly behind.

"Byakugan!" the other two shouted in unison. At least it would be faster.

"There!" Minato shouted, and took off to his right. We followed suit. He landed just below it as it jumped through the trees, and leapt upward, hands outstretched. The cat ducked under his hands, and scratched his face. He shouted in pain as the cat leapt away.

"Minato, this is about teamwork! We should try to corner it!" I shouted at him, and he fell back into rank. I sped up, and was jumping parallel to the cat. Minato resumed his path just below it, and Kougi went to its left. "Minato, now!" He leapt up at it again, and it leapt towards me. I leapt to it, arms outstretched, as did Kougi, but it just dropped, landing on the ground, and kept running. Kougi and I were flying at each other in midair, head first. My eyes went wide at the impending collision, until she put both hands on a branch just below her, pushing herself slightly up and over me. She then grabbed my foot as she passed me, and used my weight as a pivotal point, as she was lighter, changing direction, then kicking off a tree, shooting at the cat. Coming from straight above it, she threw two kunai, which landed in front of it, so it leapt up. She grabbed it in her arms, tucked, and rolled, landing on the ground. She was smiling, and the cat struggled at first, but then rubbed its head against her chin.

"Nice job, Kougi! Boys, you too." Kakashi said.

"Yeah, Kougi. That was amazing..." I said, starstruck.

"I think it peed on me." Minato said, and a yellow liquid was on his face and in his hair. Kougi laughed, and I smiled. Kakashi shook his head and threw him a towel.

--

"Oh, thank you for rescueing Bootsy!" A very hefty and brightly dressed woman with too much jewelry exclaimed as she hugged the cat. The cat was looking, oddly, at Kakashi, angrily, it seemed. "Here's the money I promised!" the woman said as she placed the money on the desk in front of my mother. She was smiling at me, and it was the first time I'd seen her since I graduated. The heavy woman left with her cat, and then Kakashi smiled and walked out, and I walked out shortly after.

"Kakashi, you owe me for that." a small dog said in a oddly deep voice as it stood at the feet of a clone of Kakashi.

"For what? All you had to do was run through the forest. You do that most days anyway, Pakkun." the original Kakashi replied.

"Yeah, yeah, but being hugged by your overbearing clone wasn't pleasant." it replied, and then sighed, and disappeared.

"That cat was your dog?" I asked, him puzzled.

"Oops...Well, yeah." Kakashi replied, then began to walk away.

"Why didn't you just have us catch your dog?"

"I like transformation jutsus?" Kakashi replied. "Any more questions?"

"Yeah, why does your dog know how to teleport?"


	5. Chapter 5

I apologize for the wait, folks! I know normally I've been making updates every day, but I've also been running out of steam. That, and my mom's boyfriends computer wasn't working well, so I couldn't post if I had material ANYWAY. My laptop doesn't have a word processor, because Vista blows and wants me to security check MS WORD!! And I need a product key that I dont have, so I have to call HP blah blah blah blah...Alright well here's the next chapter.

"Ok, today we will have a real mission, I promise." Kakashi said as we walked through the village.

"What do you mean by that?" Minato asked.

"Kujikeru?" He asked, and looked at me.

"I didn't tell anyone anything." I said as i continued to walk. Kakashi sighed.

"The mission yesterday was another thing i do with all my students. The cat was my dog, and one of my clones was the woman." Minato and Kougi sighed. "Today is different, and since you did so well yesterday, I convinced the hokage to give us a D-ranked mission instead of an E."

"What do we have to do? Spy on an enemy ninja? Defend a small village from an invading nation?" Minato said loudly, his smile wide.

"It's a D-ranked mission, it won't be anything like that." Kougi said.

"Thanks, Kougi. Our mission is to go to a heavily traveled road and defeat a band of thieves who have been harrassing merchants, and forcing them to pay a tax, when they are using Fire Nation lands to travel."

"Bandits!? Alright, let's do it!" Minato shouted, running forward.

"Idiot...you won't get them like that. We have to make ourselves look like someone they would attack, or in other words, merchants." I shook my head as I explained, Minato didn't look like he understood. "If we dress like ninja, they won't attack us, or come out from hiding, because we don't have anything of value. If we dress like merchants and bring a cart with us, they will try to exert the tax, and we can root them out."

"Very good, Kujikeru. You really are-" Kakashi began.

"Don't say it."

"Say what?"

"That I'm like my father."

"Why not?" I glared at him. "Ah, gotcha. Anyway, Kujikeru is right. We are going to dress up as merchants, and take this highway, and lure them out. Any questions?" Nobody asked for clarification, and so we moved on.

An hour or two later, Minato and I were flanking the cart, while Kakashi and Kougi sat on the seat, driving the mules. We had already gone over the story, so we were all clear. Kakashi was a merchant, Kougi was his granddaughter, and Minato and I were his grandsons. It was simple enough.  
"Just remember, guys, if they try to flee when they realize what we are, let them lead us back to their hideout. That way, we can get their boss at the same time, and it will all be overwith." We all nodded, and kept going. It didn't take long, after we were on this highway, for them to show themselves. The road was narrow, and to our right was a cliff downward, and to our left, a steep incline. It was territory that favored their underhanded tactics, with lots of nearby cover, and the road wasn't wide enough for someone to just drive past the two "toll-men" they had posted.

"Stop the cart, old man." One of the two, who was weilding a katana, walked closer.

"There is a toll to go any further." the second continued.

"I never heard of any toll through the Land of Fire." Kakashi smiled. His face was disguised with a transformation jutsu.

"Listen here, old man!" the one who had walked closer grabbed his wrist and pulled him off the cart, throwing him to the dirt.

"Hey, leave my grampa alone!" Kougi shouted, as she struck the man's shoulder. She was convincingly weak, as the man didn't seem to mind.

"This is an adult covnersation, stay out of it you little brat!" he said, and backhanded Kougi. Continuing the act, she fell backwards into the cart. She even faked a squeel of pain.

"Lay off my cousin!" Minato shouted, throwing his robe off and leaping at the bandit.

"Minato..." I sighed. Idiot...

"What the hell?" the bandit cried as Minato slugged his jaw. He fell backwards, towards his partner. He stood on the cart and helped Kougi up. Great, he WAS protective of her. Wait, the mission. Right.

"Kougi, are you ok?"

"Minato, you idiot, we aren't supposed to do that yet!"

"Oops..."

"You tricksters! You aren't merchants! You're ninja! The boss said not to let any ninjas get away! Kill them!" the two ran forward with their swords. I sighed again, and shed my robe, leaping over the cart. I landed in front of one of them, low, then kicked straight up, hitting his jaw hard. He was lifted a foot off the ground before falling back.

"You're just...You're just a kid! There's no way your this strong!" he swung downward with his sword, and Kakashi intervened with a single kunai, smiled broadly. He pushed up, and the bandit fell off balance. The two scrambled to their feet and began running.

"That wasn't hard." Minato commented.

"We have to follow them, idiot." I said, and began running after them. The others followed suit, Minato last, after a heavy sigh.

"We have to tell the boss! He won't be happy!" Their boss really wouldn't be happy when he realized that they had led four ninja to their base. We followed them up the hill, into a forest, and then finally into a cave. It was well lit, and they went inside quickly. We stopped at the entrance.

"Alright, up to you kids now. I'll just watch and make sure you don't get hurt."

"Alright!" Minato shouted, and Kougi clamped a hand over his mouth. "wud ah dou douin?" Minato muffled. She held a finger to her lips.

"HE'S like his dad." I said quietly. Kakashi grinned, and then disappeared.

"Let's go guys." I walked cautiously into the cave. It was about 10 feet high, and the same wide, and the craftsmanship was good. The bandits hadn't made it. The cave was well lit, and appeared to go fairly deep in. About fifty feet or so in, it forked. There were three of us, and two paths.

"Well, how do we want to do this?" I said quietly.

"I think we should stay together." Kougi replied, just as quiet.

"I'll go left, you two go right." Minato had gotten the hint, and was speaking quietly. Koug looked over her shoulder to the right path, and as she did Minato elbowed me gently, and winked. I rolled my eyes. Idiot...

"If we stay together, we choose one path and risk letting them escape if we use the wrong path. If we split up, that leaves one of us alone, and more easily defeated." I reasoned.

"I don't mind, I'll go alone." Minato said. "I have my byakugan, they won't sneak up on me, that's for sure."

"Fine, if that's ok with you, Kougi, we can do that." She nodded. "Minato, be careful, just shout if you need help, we'll be right there."

"You too, Kujikeru." Mianto said with a smile, and he moved towards the left path. Kougi and I went down the right.

We walked down the path in silence, with extra precautions. She had her byakugan, and was carefully scanning the area. There was a small opening in the right wall, and I moved towards it.

"Kougi, keep going. I'll catch up, I'm going to check this out." The opening was circular, only about four by four, and it didn't meet with the ground. I climbed through it, and as soon as my feet hit the ground, I felt cold steel against my neck. It was dark, but then a torch was lit. Several men were smiling at me, and I just grinned back. Great.

Sorry for the cliff hanger, but i thought it would be a great place to leave it off, just so I know you will all come back! Haha. Anyway, read, review, pass it on to your friends! Anything at all is helpful!


	6. Chapter 6 Not normal Genin

I'm disappointed in you guys! I got none, zero, nada! No reviews, no new alerts! And i was getting so much positive feedback before! Here's chapter 6, and there is some sensitive material, for some people, though its fairly vague, nothing too specific. I hope you guys enjoy, as our three young ninjas continue to develop!

I felt the cold steel on my neck, and saw the thugs grinning at me. I tried to keep calm, keep my focus, which wasn't a problem until the "leader" started laughing. I couldn't tell if he was the leader of the whole band, but he was the leader of this group. He was the biggest, had the best quality sword, and was standing way back. Definitely leader material.

"Got yourself into a bit of a pickle, didn't you, you filthy ninja brat!" The leader spat out.

"What's the matter, got something against ninja?" I asked. He glared at me.

"Yeah, my boss doesn't like you all very much, though it doesn't matter to me, Ninja or not, your still dead!"

"Dosoku, settle down! His friends might hear us."

"Bah, they're just kids! What can they do?" Dosoku clearly didn't know much about leaf village children.

"My friends are pretty strong. Especially the old guy."

"Oh, really, huh?"

"Yeah, his name is Kakashi Hatake, the copy cat ninja. Maybe you've heard of him." They started laughing at me. So much for the truth.

"Yeah, right! And I'm head of the anbu black ops. Hah!" Dosoku said.

"Would you have believed me if I'd said that the girl who's with us was the hokage?" They continued to laugh. Either they knew I was in trouble, or they were stupid. Or both.

"Kid, your friends aren't going to save you." Dosoku continued.

"Yeah, your probably right. They won't get here in time."

"Aren't leaf ninja supposed to be optimistic?"

"I am. I'll have escaped on my own by the time they get here." I disappeared in a puff of smoke, reappearing behind the guy who had had the sword to my throat. I kicked his elbow, and he dropped it. I spun, kicking him with my other leg in the back, and he stumbled forward, then fell through the hole I'd climbed through. He was stuck. I bet it looked funny from the other side.

"Why you little brat! Get him!" The others began to charge, and Dosoku held back.

"Fire Style! Pheonix Fire Flower Jutsu!" I send a tiny ball of fire flying at each thug's chest. It wouldn't hurt much, but it would buy me enough time to get to Dosoku as they patted down their clothes. He drew his sword, and I ran forward. He slashed down, so I rolled to the side. He altered the blade's direction, swiping horizontal this time. I continued running after my roll, going up the cave wall. Great, he wasn't staying back because he was weak and just the leader. He was staying back because he was lazy. I backflipped off the wall, and he slashed out at me. I just barely got a kunai in the way, and his swipe tossed me aside. I hit the ground, threw the kunai, and started the hand signs. He turned his sword sideways, using the flat of the blade as a shield, blocking the kunai. The others had stood up, and were advancing. I sure hoped the jutsu dad had taught me worked.

"Fire Style! Grand Fireball Jutsu!" I inhaled, held my fist to my mouth, and exhaled. The bright orange flames shot out, illuminating the room. This was a good sized cave, with another tunnel at the back. The bandits screamed, and started rolling on the floor. At that moment, I hadn't ever been happier that my dad was proud of me. He had taught me that technique the same day I'd gotten the bell from Kakashi-sensei, and he said any Uchiha who could master it was considered a man. I guess I wasn't a boy anymore. The Hokage would be proud. That was pretty sad, that I referred to her as the Hokage and not my mother. Oh well, no time now. I needed to find Kougi and Minato.

I ran through the tunnel, which opened into a wider space, as a bridge over another tunnel. I kept moving, and found myself staring at Minato sitting on top of half a dozen bandits.

"Hey, Kujikeru! How's it going?" He said with a laugh. The bandits were tied up, but were struggling fiercely. They'd break free if he wasn't sitting on them.

"Not bad. I see you have things handled."

"Well, except I can't leave." I walked over, and I lashed out at each bandit in turn with a single chop to the neck. They stopped moving. "Thanks!" We heard a scream, then turned to each other.

"Kougi!" We said simultaneously. We ran back to the bridge, then jumped down to the tunnel it ran over. We kept running as fast as we could.

We turned into another large cavern, this one being the first that had actually been well worked, and a throne had even been carved into the back wall. Kougi was tied by her feet, hanging upside down, her head fairly close to the man on the throne. He wasn't very old, early twenties at most. He had dark hair, and looked to be fairly well muscled.

"You jerk! Don't imitate my voice!" Kougi shouted.

"How else would I get your friends to show up? Of course they'll rush to defend the helpless little girl."

"She's anything but helpless, mister." Minato said with a tone that implied she'd hit him on multiple occasions.

"I don't know, I figure in a couple of years, she might be old enough to help me start a family. Isn't that right, dear? She sure is cute." The man said, as he put his thumb and fingers on opposite sides of Kougi's face and pinched as he moved her head back and forth. She bit the gap between his thumb and fingers. "Oh-ho, she's got some fight in her. Yes sir, just a few more years!"

"Back off, pal. I'll kill you before I let you touch her." Minato said angrily.

"Like you can do anything about it!" He slid his hand onto the side of her head softly. She tried to evade his grasp to no avail. Minato charged forward, kunai drawn. Two other thugs in the room steped forward, but the man shrugged them aside. Minato hurled the kunai straight at the man.

"Attack Reversal Jutsu!" the man cried after a few hand signs. A red vortex appeared in front of him, only a foot wide, and sucked the kunai in.

"Minato, watch out!" I said as another vortex appeared a few feet behind Minato. I threw my own kunai, and deflected it to the side.

"So, you hate ninjas, huh?" I said mockingly.

"Your right, I do hate ninjas! That's why you two are going to be killed, and she is going to be my slave!" He touched Kougi's face again, and she tried to bite him again. She missed. "Boys, take care of them." The two who had moved forward each advanced on one of us. They each had massive, curved blades, and round wooden shields, in addition to several javelins strapped to their backs.

"Kougi...Just hold on!" Minato shouted, rushing at his opponent. "Byakugan!" he shouted. At this point, I was more preoccupied with my own private moron, who was hurling javelins like they were tooth picks. I ducked and weaved, and they ended up burying themselves a foot into the rock wall. I hoped he didn't hit me with his sword. I really didn't want it burying itself a foot into my shoulder. He swung his sword in elaborate patterns while still ten feet away from me. He smirked, and I returned the smile. I ran towards him, kunai drawn, my other hand held behind me. I threw the kunai at his stomach, and he moved his shield to intercept. Just the reaction I wanted. I hurled several kunai with my other hand, this time at his head, and the shield blocked them as well, just like it blocked his vision. I couldn't believe I was thanking my dad twice in one day, nevermind at all.

"Thanks dad. Lion's Barrage!" I dropped to one foot, the other shooting straight up into his jaw. He flew into the air, and I leapt after him. I mirrored his flight, floating just under him as he reached the arc of his flight. I kicked his right side, then rolled over in midair, kicking his left side with the same foot. I used my foot at his ribs as a point to pivot off of, rising above him, before booting him in the end, sending him sprawling earthward. I reached the top of the cavern, and pushed off of it with my feet. I flew faster than he fell, and my foot connected with his stomach as his back connected with the earth. I didn't know how I would do it, but I knew I had to impress my dad again, so he would teach me more tricks. Minato's goon was down for the count, and he was walking menacingly towards the leader. The leader actually stood up, and began cracking his knuckles.

"It's been awhile since I actually fought. This should loosen me up real good." Minato leapt out, right fist drawn way back. The man ducked slightly, put one palm up into Minato's stomach, and flipped him overhead. Minato hit the wall.

"Minato!" Kougi cried out. He stood up, and dusted himself off.

"So, if range doesn't work, and you'll just use my strength against me, how does this grab you? Eight Trigrams! Gentle Fist Art! Sixty Four Palms!" he rushed forward, his eyes blazing.

"Attack Reversal Jutsu!" The man cried out once more, and accepted Minato's blows. Minato stopped moving, then fell to his knees.

"Minato, what's wrong?"

"My chakra...it isn't flowing right...Uggh..." He could reverse any technique, and his taijutsu revolved around using your strength against you. Terrific. He kicked Minato to the side, and walked back to his throne.

"Don't worry, my dear. Once these two are finished off, we will be alone." He laughed at himself.

"Get...away...from my cousin..." Minato pulled himself to his feet. One hand was at his stomach, and he looked as if his muscles could barely make him stand, but his resolve had never been stronger. He closed his eyes, his face flushed with anger, and his eyes tinted red.

"Minato, what's wrong with you? Your eyes...They're red!" I asked, never having seen him like this.

"Kids inherit things from their parents, right? Well, My mother gave me my byakugan. My father gave me this..." His eyes grew a deeper shade of red, and red chakra seeped out of his body.

"There's no way he gave you the fox. He wouldn't!" Kougi shouted.

"Not the fox...too dangerous. The fox did, however, alter the DNA that makes me up. Whenever I get really angry...This happens." He was fully sheathed in red chakra now. He rushed at the man, eyes blazing, fists ready for impact.

"Hmm, you aren't a regular genin, are you, kid? I'll have to use some stronger moves to take you down!" Minato's fist collided with the ground where the man's feet had been, after he leapt into the air. A small crater formed. Minato leapt out at the man, who was hanging dramatically in midair. Minato growled angrily, and the man's eyes were scared, but then...confidant? He formed a few hand signs. "Chakra Reversal Technique! Self Rejuvenation!" He moved fasted than Minato could have hoped to, and grabbed his throat. The red chakra drew out of Minato's throat, and crawled up the man's arm. His muscles bulged as he gained Minato's strength. The last bit was drained, and he was thrown across the room. Minato lay on the ground, motionless. "Fantastic! Such raw power! I've never felt anything like it! It's...invigorating! I might keep him too, as my own personal chakra battery!" He drew several kunai, then threw them at Minato. In the blink of an eye, I had dashed in, standing over his body, deflecting them with my own knife.

"So, the last one makes a desparate attempt! Don't waste your time, kid! I'm twice as strong as I was, thanks to this distinctly demonic chakra!" More hand signs, and several clones appeared. Ten of him stood around me, drawing knives. They began circling me, and I went to attack, to break the circle, but realized I couldn't leave Minato's side. Suddenly, they all dashed in, stabbing at me. One pronounced wound appeared on my shoulder. I cried out in my pain. They continued to run in circles, dashing in once more.

"Fire Style! Grand Fireball Jutsu!" I shouted, after finishing the hand signs, the flames leapt from my hand, enveloping several of the clones. They burst through the flames, unharmed, and slashed me. Another wound, this time on my arm. They circled once more.

"You can't hurt us, not with the child's chakra protecting me! And you can't escape, or you leave your friends here to suffer! Your time is up, brat!" They rushed in, and I tried to block with my kunai. I felt contact between two knives, mine and a very real knife, but the blade still cut my back. They circled. Dashed in once more, and I tried to defend. Another contact, slim, not much, but I had touched it. It seemed like I could see him better, or maybe it was luck, and I was imagining it. Whether I could see him or not, I had another wound, this time across my chest. Everything was starting to hurt, and I was having trouble staying steady on my feet. They continued running. They leapt in, and I turned around, the side of my knife blocking the tip of the only real knife.

"A lucky block, novice! Try doing that twice!" They all shouted, as they resumed running. Something was different now. One stood out...One was different. One was real. They leapt in, I leapt forward, towards the real one. I knew he was real, no one could prove me wrong. I blocked his knife, and spun around, stabbing his leg. They all leapt back.

"It's not possible. Another lucky block!!" He shouted, so they continued running.

"Kuji! You can do it!" Kougi shouted. She was right. I could do it, now that I could see him. They leapt in once more, and I threw shuriken at the real one. Before even attacking, they jumped to intervene. Nine clones superimposed themselves over the real one, then leapt away.

"There! You just got lucky once, then marked which was the real me! Now that we've moved together, and separated, you would have to get lucky to do that again! It's over!" They ran in circle. He was wrong. I could see the real one, he stuck out like Minato's hair amidst the blacks and browns of the rest of our graduating class. They dove in to strike.

"Die!" he shouted, and I drew a second knife, blocking his knife with one, then stabbing his other leg. "You brat! Why can you see me? It doesn't make sense! Fine, if that's how this is going to be!" He started doing several hand signs.

"Jutsu Reversal! Fire Style! Grand Fireball Jutsu!" Kakashi shouted as he finished the hand signs just before the man did. His fire shot out and counteracted the leader's flames.

"What? Who are you!"

"I'll take it from here, Kujikeru. Nicely done." He ruffled my hair and smiled that same smile. He was still disguised as the old man, but both his eyes were revealed. When he opened them, I saw the sharingan, my bloodline. He couldn't be part of my family, could he?

"Who are you!? I demand to know who you are!" The leader shouted.

"You don't recognize me? Oh right, the transformation jutsu." Kakashi let it slip away, and the man fell to his feet, and the red chakra faded.

"Ka...Kakashi Sensei!"

"Sensei, you know him?"

"I sure do. He's from my last batch of students. He's from the Gyakuten clan. He failed the chunin exams four times, when his teammates passed the first time. He got mad, then left the village, swearing revenge. They specialize in reversal techniques, using the enemy against themselves. Pretty useful, if you ask me."

"I've gotten stronger, Kakashi!! I'm much stronger than the chunin level!"

"It was never about your strength, Katsumoto. It was about your self control, you never knew when to stop, and about your teamwork, your ego always got the best of you. That's why we wouldn't let you become a chunin."

"I'll destroy you, Kakashi!" He stood there, smiling, and waiting.

"If I have to fight you, I suppose I have to fight you, don't I?" Katsumoto nodded. "Fine." He went through several hand signs. "Water Style! Water Dragon Jutsu!" A large dragon, sculpted of water, shot from Kakashi's hands.

"Your arrogance is your own undoing, Kakashi! Attack Reversal Jutsu!" The same red vortex appeared in front of him, and the second appeared above Kakashi. The dragon shot downward. Unfortunately for Katsumoto, Kakashi had used the attack reversal jutsu at the same time he did. The first vortex was above him, and the second was below Katsumoto. It went through Katsumoto's second vortex, then through both of Kakashi's, erupting below Katsumoto's feet. He was sent flying into the ceiling, and he dropped to the ground, unconcious.

"Kakashi sensei, that was amazing." I said quietly.

"You did great yourself. I saw the piles of enemies you and Minato left behind, and you managed to defend your friends until I got here."

"I don't get what happened, though. All of a sudden, I could see him." Kakashi pulled out a mirror.

"Look at your eyes." He said with a broad smile. I had two, tiny, black, oddly shaped spots on my eyes, on opposite sides of my pupil. He lowered the mirror, and I saw his face, but a similer pattern on his eyes. It was the same, except with one more black spot. "You've developed your sharingan, Kujikeru." He continued to smile broadly.

Please please please review, guys! It helps a lot, and means a lot! Thanks!


	7. Chapter 7 New Jutsu

Kakashi had given us the day off the day before, and so we had decided to spend some time training by ourselves

Kakashi had given us the day off the day before, and so we had decided to spend some time training by ourselves. I had showed up first, and was waiting at the training grounds. I saw Kougi walking over, from the east, and since it was early morning, the sun was rising behind her, and it looked like she was glowing. It was an odd sensation, I couldn't help but stare, but at the same time, I couldn't stare, she would notice, for sure. The Hyugas weren't the type to miss much. I pulled my eyes off her with some effort after waving her over, and began putting some equipment in my various pockets or holsters.

"Hey Kuji!" She said as she waved and stood a few feet away. "Getting ready to train?"

"Yeah." I tried to continue to keep my eyes off her, but I figured it didn't matter, so I looked at her and smiled. "Are you ok? That guy the other day, he didn't do anything to you did he?"

"No, he just tied me up and hung me upside down. I'm fine." She smiled widely at me as she clasped her hands behind her back. "Are you ok? He stabbed you a bunch of times, didn't he?" She was concerned, for me. I didn't know why but it made me smile.

"Yeah, he did but they were shallow, and my mom fixed me up."

"Oh, yeah she's a medical ninja, right?"

"Yeah, she is. Hey, where is Minato?" He was late as often as Kakashi was.

"I don't know, he has been spending a lot of time with his dad. He kept telling me he had some kind of new technique he would show us."

"I bet he does." I said, shaking my head. I doubted it would matter, if he wanted to spar, which of course he would. Since I had developed my sharingan, my dad had taught me a technique, and I doubted Minato could even come close.

"I've learned a few new ones too, I bet Minato will be jealous!" She laughed. I loved her laugh. Sorry, training, right.

"Really? Would you like to show me?" I asked. I was definitely curious.

"I can wait until Minato gets here." She smiled.

"Alright, well are you going to spar this time? Usually Minato and me just beat each other senseless while you watch, then we all go home."

"I think I might." Great. If we sparred, I was in a lose-lose situation. If I let her win, she'd definitely know, and she'd probably be mad that I was treating her different, but if I went 100, I could hurt her, and I had no interest in doing that. Great.

"Hey Kougi, Kujikeru." A skinny dirty-blonde haired boy walked up with his hands in his pockets. Ichijin Nara, Shikimaru and Temari's daughter, was standing there next to us.

"Didn't you have darker hair in the academy?" I asked.

"Yeah, now that we go on missions all the time instead of spending half our time inside, the sun had a little effect on it, and brought out more of my mother's hair color." He shrugged.

"It looks good!" Kougi said. She liked his hair, great. I hoped she was being polite. I had decided I was going to create a jutsu that would let me control my hormones like chakra. Essentially I'd use it all the time, and not have hormones. That would be much better.

"We were going to train, you want to join us?" I asked him. He looked up at the sky.

"Yeah I suppose. I don't know how much you guys will benefit from me being here. I'm kind of a one-trick ninja."

"That's alright!" Kougi shouted. "It'll be fine, we can just all train together!"

"If you want to, we can spar, Ichijin." I offered.

"Yeah, I guess we would have to, to train, huh?" He was definitely as lazy as his dad. What scared me was the thought that he might be as smart as his parents combined.

"Alright, lets do it. Just don't try and kill me or anything, alright?" I laughed at him, and he smirked lazily. "Let's do it!" I crouched in a fighting stance, and he sat cross-legged on the ground, his hands on each knee, his thumb and middle finger touching, like he was meditating. "Um, are you going to fight?"

"I'm ready when you are." He said, opening one eye. I had heard about his dad's thinking stance. Great.

I ran towards him, knife drawn, and threw it at him. He whipped two long thin rods from his sleeves, one in each hand, then pinned the knife between them, inches from his face.

"Woah." I said. He hadn't moved anything above his elbows, and his eyes were still closed. He threw the two rods at me, and as they flew they unfolded into two twin fans. Each had the character for shadow on them. He put his hands close together, and started doing hand signs.

"Shadow Possession Jutsu!" No way, he was 100 feet away, at least. The twin black beams shot out towards me. Wait, twin?

I began moving to the side. The two beams hit the shadow below the fans, and then, bolstered, shot out after me. I leapt into the air to avoid, but they followed. Oh crap. His shadows hit mine, and he allowed me to hit the ground gracefully, then held me there. Crap. He reached for his boot, and of course, I had to as well. He pulled a kunai out.

"Your kidding…" I didn't have a kunai in my boot.

"I win." He said with a lazy smile, and then released his jutsu. He walked over to where Kougi was, and then fell asleep in the grass. What a jerk. Kougi was laughing at me, and I STILL couldn't help but admire her laugh.

"Hey guys, am I late?" Minato said as he ran up, grinning madly.

"What are you so happy about?" I asked.

"You'll see!" He was practically giggling.

"Minato, let's spar." She grinned. He looked at her, confused.

"Yeah, ok."

They stood a good distance away from each other, both grinning.

"Byakugan!" they said simultaneously. Their faces changed with the odd look the byakugan had, then ran at each other. Minato charged, and held his hands together, for a sign. His left hand was forward, and vertical, with two extended fingers, and he right hand was identical, just horizontal. The fingers crossed at the middle knuckle.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" He shouted. Half a dozen Minato's ran outward from him. "Which one is the real one, Kougi?" He laughed as they ran.

"Hmm, I don't think it really matters. She drew out a scroll, and as she spun, kunai and shuriken flew out of it in volleys. One of the clones leapt in front of one of the others, and took the hits. The clones stood there, transfixed, each studded with dozens of weapons. One of them, the only unharmed one, was on his butt, staring at the others.

"Kougi, were those weapons aimed at their chakra points, or was it luck?" He said in amazement. She laughed, and the clones disappeared, as did the weapons. "That's ridiculous."

"My mom and my dad worked together on that one, just for me." She grinned madly. Tenten and Neji, their specialties combined, and it became Kougi. They took the gentle fist and added razor sharp steel to the equation. Genius.


	8. Chapter 8 He's Been Nice

Alright, it's been awhile, I know, but I also haven't had a single review since chapter 4. If things don't improve, I probably will discontinue this story. Sorry but it just seems like a wasted effort on my part if nobody is reading it.

It had been months since we had gotten a decent mission, the supposed D ranked mission that turned into a difficult C, with the ninja-turned bandit. Since then, not much had changed, Minato was still obsessed with ramen, Kakashi was still a pervert who always read his book and showed up late, and Kougi, oh, did I mention Kougi and I had actually spent some time alone? Yeah it went really well.

"Kuji, what are you thinking about?" Kougi asked as she lay next to me on a hill looking out into the sky.

"Hmm, sorry, what?"

"You still space out a lot, you know that, right?"

"Yeah, I know. Sorry."

"So what are you thinking about? You haven't said anything in almost an hour. I like spending time with you, and sure, I love sitting here, staring at the sky, with your arm around my shoulder, but I like to talk to you too." She smiled and laughed. She sat up a bit, readjusted her position, and then readjusted my arm. She was lying right next to me now. Yeah, it went really well.

"Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about the past few months. Our missions have been awful; my dad has been acting strange… It's just been an odd summer."

"Oh." She said sadly.

"The only good thing I can think about is you, Kougi."

"Oh." She said happily with a smile. She slid her head over, putting it against mine. I just smiled. "What kind of weird do you mean, with your dad I mean?"

"He's been…nice."

"That's good, isn't it?"

"Well yeah but I used to hate him. He was really neglectful most of the time, but ever since he told me he was proud of me, he's been teaching me new jutsus, training with me. I'm just not used to it."

"Well I'm happy for you then." She turned on her side and threw her left arm over my chest, and dug her right arm under my back, and hugged me tight. Yeah, it went really well.

"We should get some sleep. Kakashi said he had important training for us tomorrow."

"Yeah ok." She said, so I stood up, and then offered her my hand. She took my hand, and I pulled her to her feet. She hugged me tightly again as we stood there, then pulled her head back and lowered her arms to be around my lower back. She kissed me briefly and I just stood there. It was our first, and my first. I didn't know about her. I grabbed one of her hands and started walking back towards the village. She grabbed it back, tightly, and walked real close to me. I turned my head to the left, she turned hers to the right, looked into my eyes, and I kissed her this time. She smiled afterwards, and we kept walking. It was late, really late.

"Hey, you little brats." A man walked out of the shadows, but not enough so that we could see his face.

"Who's that?" I asked, and Kougi moved even closer to me.

"Take a wild guess." I recognized the voice now. Katsumoto, the man we had put in jail that had been harassing merchants by exploiting a group of bandits.

"Katsumoto Gyakuten." I said angrily.

"That's right, and I'm going to beat you to a pulp for putting me in jail."

"You escaped then?"

"Nope, I got out this morning. Petty theft doesn't have that long of a jail time." He grinned menacingly.

"We beat you the first time, and this time won't be any different."

"Kakashi isn't here to save you." He said with a contempt filled smirk.

"And Minato isn't here to be your chakra battery." I said back, with equal contempt.

"True, but you two spend your nights lying in the grass. You know what I did in jail? Trained. All day, then I sleep, and then train some more. I'm twice as strong as I was."

"And Kougi isn't tied up."

"Doesn't matter. I won't need my jutsu to stop you, I've gotten much stronger physically." He smiled, and dropped into a stance.

"Fine, I'll put you back in jail, where you belong." He charged at Kougi, so I leapt in between, kunai drawn. He leapt over me, fist reared back, still going for Kougi. I did a half-flip, landing on my hands, then forward, double-kicking him in the stomach. He flew backwards, and rolled over in midair to land on his feet.

"Heh, I knew you'd protect the girl. Fool."

"And how, exactly, does that make me a fool?"

"You just wait." He rushed in again, this time directly at me. He punched straight at my chest, fast, much faster than he'd moved the first time. My only option was to throw both my arms up in a cross block, which I did. I was pushed backward a few feet, into Kougi, and then we both fell over. He continued over, and I kipped up, and he dropped his upper body low, bringing one foot into my chest quickly, and I flew over Kougi, across the street. He leaned over, and grabbed her by the throat. I leapt to my feet, rushing over. I couldn't use any jutsu, Kougi might get caught in the crossfire, or used as a shield. A punch I could pull, a fireball I couldn't. I leapt up, kicked out with my right leg, and he used Kougi as a shield, so I pulled the kick. He kicked out at me, and I was thrown backwards.

"Hah, I knew you'd never hurt the girl! Hahahaha! Now, I'm going to crush the life from your little girlfriend." He began to constrict Kougi's throat more.

"Your first mistake…is thinking I need him to protect me." Kougi said through collapsing windpipes. She kicked him in the stomach, and he dropped her. She spun on a dime, and kicked his jaw with her heel. "Eight Trigrams! Gentle Fist Art, Steel Variety! One Hundred and Twenty Eight Blades!" She shouted, summoning the chakra seeking projectiles as she spun. They penetrated his flesh only a minor amount, but it was enough to shut off the chakra points, as well as making moving, breathing, and much of anything else, difficult.

"What is going on here?" A jonin shouted as he jumped off a building and into the street.

"This idiot was let loose from jail today, and jumped us." I said, and Kougi was rubbing her throat. I ran up to her and wrapped her in a hug.

"Alright, nice job apprehending him. He won't get out of jail anytime soon, I promise. You kids ok?"

"Yeah, we're fine." Kougi said as she hugged me tighter.

"Let's get you home, Kougi." I said, and we walked off in the direction of the Hyuga compound.

Alright, for the audience that is minute, I'm sure, i hope you enjoyed. If you want me to continue, please, review it and tell me so. This chapter probably wasn't great, because of the fact that I feel this story gets little-no attention from it's readers. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed!


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